Search Results (544)

Cement clinker production is a thermal- and emissions-intensive process requiring high-temperature heat for drying, calcination, and sintering. This review provides a process-based assessment of refuse-derived fuel (RDF), solid recovered fuel (SRF), tire-derived fuel (TDF), and biomass as partial substitutes for coal and petcoke in modern dry-process cement kilns. The study synthesized the evidence from plant-scale trials, pilot and laboratory experiments, process modeling, computational fluid dynamics, emissions studies, life-cycle assessment (LCA), techno-economic analysis (TEA), and regional case studies to evaluate alternative fuels across fuel properties, kiln-zone suitability, process stability, clinker quality, emissions performance, and environmental outcomes. The review shows that stable co-processing generally requires fuels with net calorific values above 14 MJ kg⁻¹ and moisture contents below 15%, although TDF can provide 26–33 MJ kg⁻¹ and sustain high-energy kiln duty when sulfur, zinc, and steel residues are controlled. RDF, SRF, and biomass require pre-processing, homogenization, calibrated dosing, and continuous fuel-quality monitoring to limit incomplete burnout, deposit formation, volatile circulation, and clinker-quality variation. LCA studies show that 20% RDF thermal substitution can reduce global warming potential by about 3.3–4.2%, increasing to approximately 6.7% when avoided landfill methane credits are included. Modern abatement systems can maintain particulate matter at about 10–30 mg Nm⁻³ and PCDD/F below 0.1 ng TEQ Nm⁻³ under stable operation. The review concludes that alternative fuels are quality-dependent co-processing options whose mitigation role is complementary to clinker-factor reduction, energy-efficiency improvement, low-clinker binders, electrified heating, oxy-fuel calcination, and carbon capture. Full article

Background: Korean registered nurses face substantial cumulative occupational stress. Telomere length, a biomarker of cellular aging, is increasingly used in occupational stress research, but evidence on early-career Korean nurses is scarce. This study examined the association between occupational characteristics and telomere length in female nurses aged 20–39 years. Methods: Sixty-eight female nurses from a tertiary hospital in South Korea completed the questionnaires. We assessed demographics, occupational factors, burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory), and sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index—Korean [PSQI-K]). Salivary telomere length was measured using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Data were analyzed using t-tests, ANOVA with a Bonferroni post hoc test, Pearson correlations, and multivariable linear regression. Results: Participants showed moderate to high burnout levels (Emotional Exhaustion [EE] = 24.78 ± 10.96), with 41.2% exceeding the high EE threshold. Sleep quality was poor (PSQI-K = 7.90 ± 3.07), with 82.4% exceeding the cut-off. Univariable analyses revealed that younger age, unmarried status, shorter work experience, and higher personal accomplishment were associated with longer telomeres (all p < 0.05); multivariable analysis identified only age group as a significant predictor (B = −2.055 kb for nurses aged ≥30 years compared to those <30 years, p < 0.001). The model explained 83% of the variance in telomere length. Shift work, burnout, and sleep quality were not significantly associated with telomere length after controlling for age. Conclusions: Age was the main factor associated with telomere length in young female nurses, suggesting that biological manifestation of occupational effects may require longer exposure. The high prevalence of burnout and sleep disturbances warrants immediate organizational intervention. Saliva-based qPCR demonstrated reliable precision as a non-invasive method for biological monitoring in occupational health research. These findings provide a basis for future longitudinal studies examining the cumulative effects of occupational stress and inform targeted wellness interventions for early-career nurses. Full article

Academic stress is widely related to student engagement, yet its multidimensional nature and underlying processes remain insufficiently examined in laboratory learning contexts. This study explored the relationship between different sources of academic stress and academic engagement in chemistry laboratory courses, with learning burnout as a potential mediator. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1647 undergraduate school students. Academic stress was conceptualized as three dimensions: students’ academic self-perceptions (SP), faculty work and examinations (WE), and academic expectations (AExp). The results showed that these stress dimensions were differentially related to academic engagement. In addition, learning burnout was found to be associated with the relationship between academic stress and engagement, suggesting a mediating role. Notably, workload-related stress was more strongly related to engagement, whereas expectation-related stress showed a stronger association with burnout. These findings suggest that academic stress is not a unitary construct and that different stress sources may be associated with engagement through distinct patterns. The results provide a basis for understanding how stress operates in laboratory learning contexts and offer implications for both research and instructional practice. Full article

Ovarian tissue cryopreservation (OTC) has emerged as the only viable fertility preservation strategy for prepubertal girls and adolescent cancer patients facing gonadotoxic treatments. While OTC has transitioned from an experimental procedure to an established clinical practice, the functional longevity of transplanted grafts remains limited by massive follicle depletion. This review synthesizes recent technological advances in OTC for female children, with a particular focus on the underlying molecular mechanisms and innovative protective strategies. We systematically evaluate pre-cryopreservation assessments, surgical harvesting techniques such as medulla-sparing biopsies, and the comparative efficacy of slow freezing versus vitrification in preserving stromal and follicular integrity. Central to this discussion are the molecular drivers of post-transplantation injury, including ischemia–reperfusion-induced oxidative stress and the iatrogenic over-activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway, which leads to follicular “burnout.” Furthermore, we explore targeted pharmacological interventions, such as the dual-drug application of VEGFA and rapamycin, alongside emerging bioengineering frontiers including decellularized extracellular matrix scaffolds and 3D-printed bioprosthetic ovaries. Clinical outcomes are also summarized, highlighting high rates of endocrine recovery (~95%) and promising live birth rates (~28%), predominantly through natural conception. By integrating deep molecular insights with advanced tissue engineering, this review provides a comprehensive framework for optimizing long-term fertility restoration and improving the quality of survivorship for young female cancer survivors. Full article

Background/Objectives: Class II malocclusion treatment in patients at the end of skeletal growth represents a significant clinical challenge. Traditional sequential distalization with clear aligners often requires prolonged treatment duration, carrying the risk of patient compliance burnout. This article describes a clinical technique combining a “Distalizing Bar Appliance” (DBA) with active lower clear aligners and Class II elastics for the management of dentoalveolar Class II malocclusion, and illustrates its application through a case series of three end-of-growth adolescent patients. Methods: Proposed inclusion criteria and a standardized three-phase workflow are presented: (1) distalization using a DBA supported by Class II elastics, with active lower clear aligners providing anchorage and concurrent crowding resolution; (2) alignment and arch coordination with clear aligners; and (3) finishing for occlusal settling. Results: In all three cases, a Class I molar and canine relationship was achieved, with cephalometric changes consistent with the dentoalveolar mechanisms previously reported for similar appliances and no clinically apparent mandibular skeletal changes. The concurrent use of active lower aligners allowed early crowding resolution, although careful monitoring of lower incisor and molar inclination was required to limit unwanted mesial tipping induced by Class II elastics. Conclusions: Within the limits of a case series, the technique appears clinically feasible and reproducible in carefully selected patients; comparative, controlled studies are needed before any claim of superior efficiency or effectiveness over established Class II treatment modalities can be made. Full article

As a low-grade energy source, ventilation air methane (VAM) can be utilized via regenerative oxidation technology. However, its low methane concentration hinders self-sustained operation in regenerators. Blending pulverized coal provides a feasible approach to supplement heat input and offers a potential route for improving energy utilization and reducing methane emissions from coal mines. This study numerically investigated the heat release behaviors during the oxidation of pulverized coal-dispersed VAM in a 400 mm-long millimeter-scale regenerator channel, with particular attention to the complementary heat-release roles of methane and pulverized coal. The results show that when the wall temperature for methane oxidation increases from 1173 K to 1373 K, the methane oxidation rate rises from 3.72 mol·m⁻³·s⁻¹ to 23.87 mol·m⁻³·s⁻¹—an enhancement by a factor of 5.3. For pulverized coal, inlet velocity and coal feed rate governed the completeness of pulverized coal combustion and the volatile reaction rate, respectively. Among the four tested coal–methane heat input ratios (4:1, 3:2, 2:3, 1:4), the 4:1 case showed the most favorable burnout behavior. Further analysis of a representative 2:3 co-combustion case revealed a complementary heat-release pattern: methane provided rapid upstream heat release, whereas pulverized coal sustained the downstream high-temperature region and mitigated the temperature decay after methane consumption. Full article

Academic stress is one of the main challenges affecting the psychological well-being of university students due to its impact on mental health, academic performance, and quality of life. The aim of this study was to analyze and model the factors associated with academic stress by integrating unsupervised and supervised machine learning techniques. The study was conducted with a sample of 605 students from the Universidad Nacional de San Martín (Peru), who completed validated psychometric instruments, including the PSS-10, LASSI, MBI-SS, PSQI, and A-CEA. In the first stage, dimensionality reduction and clustering techniques were applied to identify latent profiles, resulting in four distinct groups reflecting different levels of adaptation and psychological vulnerability. In the second stage, eight supervised regression models were evaluated: Linear Regression, Ridge, Lasso, Elastic Net, Random Forest, Gradient Boosting, XGBoost, and CatBoost. Lasso and Elastic Net showed virtually equivalent performance, achieving coefficients of determination (R²) close to 0.61 on the independent test set. Variable importance analysis revealed that academic burnout, sleep quality, and coping strategies were the main factors associated with perceived stress, together with contextual variables with lower relative importance. Overall, the results confirm the multidimensional nature of academic stress and show that integrating unsupervised and supervised approaches provides a more comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon in university settings. Full article

Underground duct cables are widely used in urban power distribution systems, but their enclosed installation environment makes defect inspection difficult, labor-intensive, and potentially hazardous. Infrared thermography can capture abnormal temperature distributions caused by insulation degradation, conductor damage, sheath failure, or severe structural defects, while robot-based inspection provides a promising solution for confined duct environments. However, thermographic fault detection for underground small-diameter duct cables remains insufficiently studied, and practical deployment requires lightweight models suitable for embedded edge devices. In this study, an improved YOLO26-based thermographic fault detection framework is proposed for underground duct cable inspection. A Cable-Thermo dataset is constructed using an ANSYS 2025 R2-based thermoelectric coupling simulation, covering four defect categories: hollow-type damage, conductor burnout, sheath damage, and severe damage. To balance detection accuracy and deployment efficiency, two model variants are developed. YOLO26-Thermo-E retains the original detection scales and integrates CDA and SimSPPF modules for accuracy-prioritized diagnosis. YOLO26-Thermo-H further removes the small-scale detection branch as a deployment-oriented design choice, based on the scale distribution observed in the simulation dataset, where most fault-induced thermal anomalies appear as spatially continuous medium- or large-scale regions. This design assumption still requires further validation using real duct thermographic data. Experiments show that YOLO26-Thermo-E achieves the highest mAP50 of 99.20%. YOLO26-Thermo-H maintains a mAP50 of 99.00% while reducing GFLOPs by 34.3% and parameters by 16.2% compared with YOLO26. On an NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX, YOLO26-Thermo-H reaches 34 FPS under FP16 inference and 45 FPS under INT8 inference. These results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed framework under controlled simulation conditions and its potential for edge deployment. The limitations of the simulation-based dataset are also discussed, and future work will focus on real-scene data collection and simulation-to-real generalization. Full article

School burnout is a detrimental factor contributing to a decline in students’ well-being. Coping strategies are frequently mentioned among factors associated with school burnout; however, no analyses have yet examined the possible relationship between school burnout and repression–sensitization proneness, understood as a generalized coping tendency oriented toward avoidance of or vigilance for threatening stimuli. It is hypothesized that repression–sensitization proneness functions as a mediator between risk factors and the development of school burnout by influencing the way individuals perceive their school demands and their own well-being. Based on a scoping review, a general description of the concepts of school burnout and repression–sensitization proneness is presented, together with a brief discussion of the role of coping in the development and maintenance of school burnout. The hypothetical role of repression–sensitization proneness in the development and maintenance of school burnout is also discussed. The article proposes directions for future research on repression–sensitization proneness in the context of school burnout, including the assessment of the prevalence of repressive and sensitizing tendencies among students. Several hypotheses for future empirical verification are formulated, along with practical implications for preventive interventions. The article provides a theoretical foundation for future empirical studies and practical preventive programs and contributes to broadening the discussion on students’ mental health at different educational levels in the context of school burnout predictors. Full article

This systematic literature review synthesizes and integrates research on dysfunctional cognition (DC) in organizational settings, addressing the lack of a coherent model explaining how cognitive vulnerabilities shape work-related outcomes. Following the PRISMA guidelines, we analyzed 41 manuscripts (selected from more than 4523 initial and secondary search hits), leading to an integrative model of DC at work. Results show that DC is activated by job demands, alongside other demanding situational and contextual features. The model specifies maladaptive appraisal processes as the cognitive–affective mechanism through which DC shapes (dis)engagement in the task and relational domains at work and ultimately impacts outcomes such as well-being, stress, burnout, performance, and decision quality. It further incorporates job, personal, and social resources as buffering contingencies that promote adaptive appraisal and attenuate the detrimental role of DC. By integrating insights from clinical, cognitive–behavioral and organizational research, this review advances theory in three ways: (1) by emphasizing the role of appraisal as the cognitive–affective mechanism linking DC to work (dis)engagement, (2) by embedding DC in the job demands–resources model and identifying job demands as activating conditions and resources as regulatory factors for dysfunctional cognitive dynamics at work and (3) by differentiating between task and interpersonal (dis)engagement as domain-specific paths through which self-focused and relational schema impact work-related outcomes. The integrative DC model provides a foundation for future research using longitudinal and mixed-method designs, and for more fine-grained examinations of how specific forms of DC relate to distinct cognitive–affective pathways and work-related outcomes, while offering practical implications for developing schema-informed and resource-based interventions in organizations. Full article

Integrated care programs (ICPs) are associated with positive patient experiences, but provider experiences remain understudied. We examined burnout in healthcare providers working in an ICP that facilitates hospital-to-home care transitions for patients. We conducted a mixed-methods evaluation comprising a cross-sectional survey of burnout and provider experience using the Maslach Burnout Inventory, open-ended questions, and semi-structured interviews. Twenty-eight participants completed the surveys (31% response rate). Respondents were 75% female, and, on average, were 42 ± 10 years old, had spent 19 ± 11 months as providers in the ICP and had cared for a median of 170 (IQR = 245) patients. Twenty staff, who were 38 ± 8 years old on average and 95% women, were interviewed. Emotional exhaustion was low (average total score = 14 ± 7 out of 42), depersonalization was moderate (9 ± 6 out of 42), and personal achievement was high (40 ± 5 out of 48), corresponding to low-to-moderate burnout. Respondents cited teamwork as the leading protective factor against emotional exhaustion and positive impact on patients as the leading factor underlying high personal achievement. Perceived under-appreciation was the leading factor for depersonalization, likely moderated by team support and rapport. Burnout was low to moderate in our sample of ICP healthcare providers, who cited several important contextual factors requiring further study. Full article

While the literature acknowledges the importance of emotion management for effective leadership, no leadership theory embeds the management of contextual emotions that involuntarily spread among multiple workplace stakeholders (i.e., holistic emotional contagion) and are jointly intertwined with leaders’ actions. The present research aimed to: (1) include emotional contagion into leadership theorizing and assess the cross-country validity of the accompanying measure (Leader Awareness of Holistic Contagion Scale; LAHCS), and (2) examine the LAHCS’ convergent, discriminant and nomological/criterion validity. Data (Study 1) from 1454 Italian employees supported the LAHCS construct and convergent validity with multiple leadership scales and discriminant validity against group-member-prototypicality. Data (Study 2) from the U.S. (N = 400) and Italy (N = 186) supported measurement invariance. SEM model results suggest that leaders’ awareness of holistic contagion and their orientation to manage contagion are associated with higher followers’ commitment and leadership satisfaction. Interestingly, the leader’s engagement in active exploration of contagion exchanges and their awareness of the leader–follower emotional distance is associated with followers’ higher burnout, lower commitment and leadership dissatisfaction. In conclusion, our cross-country findings support the LAHCS validity and reveal that leaders who are aware of workplace emotional traffic are appreciated. Notably, if they attempt to actively explore this traffic or are aware of followers’ emotional distance, then the situation becomes likely intrusive and uncomfortable, resulting in followers’ dissatisfaction, poor commitment and distress. For scholars and practitioners alike, our findings provide a leadership conceptual framework, including emotional contagion as a springboard to the understanding of some apparently inconvenient truths about emotions and leadership. Full article

Background: South African university students face escalating levels of psychological distress driven by academic overload, financial precarity, and social challenges. Health professions students are particularly vulnerable due to the demanding nature of clinical training and repeated exposure to human suffering. Aim: This study aims to propose an Integrated Student Well-being and Resilience Model tailored to the South African health professions education context. Methods: This conceptual paper draws on empirical evidence from South African studies on student mental health, global campus well-being frameworks, and socio-ecological theory. Bronfenbrenner’s Socio-Ecological Systems Theory and a tiered public health approach were synthesized to develop a multi-level model aimed at addressing the academic, financial, and social determinants of student mental health. Conceptual synthesis: The study unequivocally identified a syndemic of interconnected factors predisposing students to depression, which included the interplay of academic rigour and cognitive burnout, financial vulnerability as a determinant of mental health, the crisis of social connection and psychological safety, and institutional failure and the resilience fallacy. Conclusions: The Integrated Student Well-being and Resilience (ISWR) Model is a systemic architecture designed to coordinate institutional governance with the complex psychosocial needs of health professions students. The model provides a holistic, scalable framework for strengthening student well-being within health professions education. By shifting from reactive counselling to proactive, system-level interventions, the model offers a strategic blueprint for creating resilient, supportive learning environments capable of improving student mental health and fostering a healthier future healthcare workforce. Full article

Systemwide Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) promotes a host of academic and behavioral benefits for K-12 students. Yet, many schools face barriers to SEL implementation. Through a research–practice partnership, this study provides insights into facilitators of and challenges to systemwide SEL implementation. We collected 652 field notes of SEL in action across twelve schools in the Northeast and Western regions of the United States between December 2022 and May 2024. All field notes were analyzed with Dedoose using thematic inductive coding. Key facilitators of systemwide SEL include prioritization/support from leadership, professional development for educators, integration into students’ daily experiences, and engagement with parents/caregivers and the community. Key challenges to systemwide SEL involve leadership ambiguity, educator burnout, and student disengagement. Implications for optimizing SEL implementation in educational practice and policy are discussed. Full article

Introduction: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is one of the most consequential decisions in clinical medicine—a pivotal moment between life and death where science, ethics, and humanity intersect. Although advances in systems of care, technology, and training have refined technique and logistics, outcomes do not consistently result in meaningful, neurologically intact survival. In oncology—where disease trajectories are heterogeneous, treatment burdens substantial, and organ reserve often limited—these tensions are especially pronounced. Methods and approaches: This manuscript examines resuscitation as a medical, ethical, and human process, with explicit focus on patients with cancer. We review contemporary strategies for early recognition of deterioration (MEWS, NEWS, MET activation), team preparedness through Immediate Life Support (ILS), and structured decision-making at the boundaries of resuscitation. We also address communication with patients and families, the legal framework of Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR) orders, and the distinctions among treatment forgoing, palliative sedation, and euthanasia, emphasising oncology-specific considerations such as metastatic burden, treatment intent (curative vs. palliative), performance status, and organ reserve. Results and discussion: The overall effectiveness of resuscitation remains modest (approximately 5–20% survival), highlighting the importance of prevention and early intervention. In cancer care, the limits of resuscitation are both clinical and ethical, requiring proportionality between the likely benefit and the risks of prolonging suffering, careful attention to prognosis and expected neurological outcomes, and rigorous alignment with goals of care. Early and ongoing involvement of palliative services, along with robust long-term care pathways, provides humane, value-concordant alternatives for patients with advanced disease. Psychotherapists and chaplains play integral roles in supporting families and clinical staff. Structured post-event debriefing and system-level safeguards are essential to mitigate burnout and moral distress within oncology teams. Initiating or discontinuing resuscitation in oncology requires expertise, empathy, and moral clarity. Dignity-preserving care depends on aligning interventions with patient values and realistic clinical endpoints. Acceptance of the natural course of dying represents an important component of responsible and patient-centred medical care. Full article